1944 Photo – William T. Piper, Founder of Piper Aircraft, Posed Beside Piper Cub

Original dated photograph of William T. Piper, founder of Piper Aircraft Corporation, taken on Tuesday, October 24, 1944, as noted in pencil on the reverse. The image shows Piper standing beside one of his company’s iconic Piper Cub light aircraft, a design that played a critical role in both civil aviation and military liaison operations during World War II.

Piper is formally dressed in a long overcoat, holding a fedora, and posed in front of the aircraft’s cowling. The structural details of the aircraft, including wing struts, landing gear, and cockpit glazing, confirm the design as a high-wing Piper aircraft, consistent with the J-3 Cub or similar variant produced during the wartime years.

William T. Piper (1881–1970) is often referred to as the “Henry Ford of Aviation” due to his efforts to make flying accessible to the general public through the mass production of affordable light aircraft.

The photo holds considerable historical significance for collectors of aviation industry figures, WWII-era aircraft documentation, and the development of general aviation in the United States.